The rate of poverty in Bangladesh is declining at about 1.74 percent every year thanks to various “poor-friendly initiatives” of the present government, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said on Tuesday.
“The poverty rate in the country is decreasing at about 1.74 percent every year due to different poor-friendly programmes and plans taken by the present government,” he said.
The planning minister came up with the statistics while replying to a scripted query from treasury bench member Md Abul Kalam (Natore-1) in the House.
According to the seventh five-year plan (2015-16 to 2019-20) being implemented by the present government, he said, the poverty rate and extreme poverty rate by 2020 would be 18.6 percent and 8.9 percent.
Kamal said the poverty rate is coming down to a desired level because of poor-friendly development strategies of the government.
He said the present government has given importance to various fields for improving living standard of the people and alleviating poverty meaning socioeconomic development of the poor.
To execute different poor-friendly programmes, he said, the government has increased investment in development budget and taken measures for generating employment.
“Besides, we have been providing various initiatives to encourage private investment and have ensured investment-friendly environment side by side with helping boosting productivity in agriculture sector,” Kamal said.
The minister said various projects like “ekti bari ekti khamar”, “ashrayon”, “grihayon”, “adarsho gram”, “guchcho gram”, “ghore fera kormosuchi” have been implementing alongside distribution of food free of cost among ultra poor and distressed people, keeping block allocation for increasing employment in rural areas and food for work and test relief programmes.
He said under the social safety net programmes, various allowances like allowance for elderly people and allowance for distressed, widow and husband abandoned women are being given.
Kamal also said Palli Sanchay Bank has been set up as part of a government decision to encourage the rural people in savings and use the savings in rural economy.
